Fulfilling A Need
by Chuckles the Cheat
Summary: Being alone in a dusty old temple for days can be rough. But Medli's mood perks up as she get's a surprise visit from her good friend Link. Takes place during WW, some Link and Medli fluff, if that's what you call it.
1. More Than Happy

** This was originally meant to be a oneshot, but I decided to make it into a three chapter short. Rate from 1 to 10 if you don't mind. If you rate low then tell me how I could have improved. **

**Fulfilling A Need**

Chapter 1

More Than Happy

Link slowed his small red boat in front of a familiar island beside Outset. He reached up to the sail, detached it, folded it up into a triangle, then set it on the flooring of the boat. He looked up as his boat skidded to a stop in front of the short coast of Headstone Island.

The reason he was here was to give the rito girl, Medli, a visit. He didn't know why he wanted to, the boy just thought that she must be lonely and would appreciate to see someone. Someone to talk to, someone to give her company for a little while, and that someone was the green clad hero. Another reason was to make sure she still had some good food to eat. He gave her a whole bag full of fruits before he left her five days ago. She must have been running low by now.

The green clothed boy vaulted over the boat side, making it rock in a slow fluid motion in response. Link landed ankle deep in the salty ocean blue water and looked at his surroundings. Nothing really important, just large rocks to the left and the right and some tall grass here and there. Ahead was the entrance to the earth temple hidden in the rocks.

Link began his walk toward the entrance, enjoying the cool wind blowing toward the south. It was very refreshing considering the temperature was on a little on the warm side. He took his cap off a moment to let the wind ruffle through his hair as he stepped up a small stone step in front of the cavern entrance. As he entered the cave, the wind stopped and Link put his cap back on his head. But it was cool inside the enclosure making Link a little more content.

"Link?"

The boy looked ahead and to his surprise, it was the person he was looking for. Medli. She still wore the same robe with that golden harp instrument strapped to her back. She never left it lying around, no matter where she was. Medli looked a bit surprised to see her reliable friend standing in the cave entrance. He looked rather tired but was still wearing a smile that the Rito was happy to see.

"Link! That is you!" Medli exclaimed, running up to him in the process.

Link noticed that she was actually running, not caring about anything else other than getting to him. She must have been more than lonely the way she was acting. The boy was expecting her to stop pretty soon but instead she threw out her arms and wrapped them around the green capped boy. A bit startled by the sudden hug that nearly knocked him off his feet, he returned the favor with a hug of his own.

"What are you doing here?" the Rito girl asked, letting Link loose of her sudden embrace. "I thought you were going to find the other sage. Or did you find him already?"

Link nodded in response.

"So is the power restored to the master sword?" Medli continued.

Link nodded again and unsheathed the master sword and held it out for Medli to see. She took it carefully and smiled. "Yes. I can feel the power of light inside of it." Medli handed it back to Link with care.

Link took the sword and sheathed it back into its place on his back behind his mirror shield. He looked back at Medli to see her look more concerned.

"You look tired, are you alright?"

It was true. Link was sailing all night and didn't get any sleep. He wanted to get to Headstone Island as soon as he could so he sailed straight from Forest Haven without any stops. He knew he wouldn't be able to hide his weariness.

"Let's go outside," Medli suggested. "I haven't been out in a while."

Medli made her way past Link and walked toward the exit the sun beamed through. She seemed eager to get out of the drafty cavern and into the sunlight so Link decided to obey and followed her out. As Link's eyes readjusted to the sunlight, he saw Medli sit down on the stone step out in front of him. He sat down right beside her and looked out into the same ocean she was looking at.

Medli closed her eyes as she felt the wind blow through her hair. "I haven't been out here ever since we went into the temple." She opened her graciously opened her eyes and looked over at Link. He was still looking out into the ocean, looking like he had something on his mind. She just left it alone and enjoyed the moment she was having. She actually had someone to talk to other than herself so she didn't really mind.

A few minutes of near silence passed. The sound of the ocean and the occasional seagull was the only thing that was making noise.

"I'm glad to see your still alright."

Medli stunningly looked over at Link. "Finally, I was beginning to think something happened to your voice since you left a week ago."

Link let out a small chuckle, "Yeah." A few moments later he continued, "You were right."

"About what?" Medli asked, looking back at the ocean in the short distance.

"I didn't realize it until you said it. I'm exhausted," Link answered, rubbing his eyes.

"Well . . . when was the last time you got some sleep?"

"I don't know," Link shrugged and thought back the best he could. "Two days ago, before I entered the wind temple."

"Well no wonder!" the Rito mildly exclaimed. "Link you need to get some sleep! Your pushing yourself too hard! Why didn't you get any sleep after you restored the master sword?"

"Well," Link began but couldn't think of anything. He only sighed.

"You didn't rush yourself to come see me did you?" Medli asked in a more serious tone.

"Well I err . . .-" the boy unintentionally scratched the back of his head.

Medli looked back over at her friend in astonishment, "You did, didn't you?"

Link only nodded, not seeing any other way out of the situation. "I guess I did."

He was expecting to get an earful after that statement, but nothing ever happened. The only thing Medli did was show a grin of appreciation. "Thank you." She found herself staring at the green clothed boy for a few moments before snapping back to reality. "But your going to have to return the favor for tiring yourself out like you did."

"Return the favor?" Link dug in his tunic pockets and retrieved an item he happened to come across on his way to the island. "Will this do?"

Medli looked down at Link's hand to see a golden feather in his grasp. "Well that wasn't what I had in mind," Medli stated as she took the feather with gratitude. "But still, thanks." She looked at the feather for a good while, lost in a daze of beauty. The feather was so pretty that she could just stare at it all day.

"Hey, you alright Medli?"

Medli shook herself out of her daze, "Oh yeah." She put the feather away in one of her hidden pockets in the robe.

"So are we good?" Link asked, putting his hands on the back of his head.

Medli looked back at Link, "Well . . . not really."

Link put his hands back down on his lap, "What do you mean?"

The girl looked over at Link expectantly, "I mean, I won't be satisfied until you get some sleep."

Link raised an eyebrow, "So . . . what? You want me to spend the night here?"

"It's your choice Link. If you want to then I won't mind."

Link looked back over at Medli. She was looking down toward the sand avoiding eye contact with him. But he could tell that she wanted him to stay. He didn't have to look into her eyes to see that. He was, after all, behind on sleep and could use a place to rest.

So Link showed a smile, "Okay. I'll stay."

"What?" Medli looked back at Link, surprised at the answer. "You . . . you mean it?"

The boy nodded, "I certainly do."

Medli showed a familiar smile and wrapped up Link in her arms. "Aw thank you Link."

"You certainly are more affectionate today," Link chuckled, returning the favor of the girl's hug.

"Well . . . I haven't really seen an actual living being in quite some time."

"That's true," Link replied as Medli let Link go. "So where do you usually sleep at?"

Medli shifted positions uneasily, "Well, it's kind of hard to sleep on a temple floor so I can't really say I got my eight hours last night. I tried sleeping on my wings but after a while they got sore so I had to stop."

"Sounds like you got it rough," Link stated.

"I'm sorry," Medli apologized. "I should have thought about that before I asked you to stay with me."

Link thought about the situation for a moment. Medli crossed her legs as she looked down in thought herself. She thought and thought but couldn't come up with anything worth telling. If Link had to sleep on the hard tiled floor then he would be better off pulling another all nighter, which definitely was not a good idea. She could see the exhaustion on his face. His eyes were baggy and his face seemed sluggish. Yet, he still seemed lively and ready to help anyone who asked for it.

Then Link snapped his fingers which brought Medli to his attention, "I got it! I live on Outset Island which is west of here. It's not that far away. Anyways, I got some camping equipment I could bring over."

Medli frowned, "How long will you be gone?"

"An hour tops," Link assured. "Do you still got some food or do you need me to bring over some more?"

"More would be nice," Medli responded. Link looked over at her to see a deep frown, something he didn't want to see.

"I promise I'll come back," Link reassured.

"And I'll be waiting," Medli answered.

_Fifty Minutes Later_

With the wind blowing in the direction Link commanded it, he made his way back to Headstone Island as fast as his boat, the King of the Red Lions, would let him. It seemed as if the king wasn't with Link at the moment for some reason. Maybe he was busy looking after Princess Zelda?

He managed to fit the camping equipment into the small boat all in one go. There wasn't any room to maneuver his feet due to the small space, but he would manage. It wasn't that far away anyways so he didn't mind one bit, especially since he was helping out a friend.

A flock of seagulls made themselves known to Link by cawing as they flew above the mast of his ship. He looked up long enough to shoo them away with his sword so he could worry about getting to the island. He didn't want to be cleaning up their excrement off the deck of his boat.

As soon as the seagulls left on to their business, Link went to his. He looked ahead to see Headstone Island coming into view. He turned the sail so he would be heading toward the back of the island where the short coast was. As soon as the coast came into view, he saw Medli standing on the beach. She seemed to be standing tall with her eyes closed as the wind, which was now blowing east, ruffled through her hair. As soon as Link made landing onto the coast, Medli opened her eyes to see her friend hopping over the side of his boat.

"Link!" Medli cried out as she ran over toward him.

Link turned around and was expecting another hug that could knock him off his feet. Surprisingly, Medli managed to stop before she collided into Link with another hug.

"I told you I was coming back didn't I?" Link said as he retrieved the gear he brought from the boat.

"I knew you would," Medli replied, putting her hands together behind her back. "So where did you get this stuff from?"

Link put a large bundle of sturdy sticks and a thick orange fabric onto the ground in front of her then answered, "My grandma made it for me and my sister so we could go camping at night. Oh, that reminds me." Link dug through his tunic long enough to retrieve a glass bottle filled with some sort of orange liquid. He offered it to Medli in which she accepted.

"Feels warm," Medli indicated. "What is it?"

"My grandma's homemade soup."

Link retrieved two sleeping bags his grandma also made for them. It was originally for him and his sister, Aryll. But they could make an exception. The sleeping bags were basically made of a thin, blue smooth fabric. It was the same fabric that his grandma made his tunic and cap with. Inside the sowed together fabric was cotton. He took his pillow from his bed as well as Aryll's. He knew she wouldn't mind. He tossed them on top of the future tent and grabbed something else from the boat. A bag filled with various fruits and food for them to eat later on. It also contained a few bottles filled with his Grandma's famous soup. One last thing he brought was a bundle of sticks for a fire, just in case. He left them in boat for now.

"What's all of that?" Medli asked, referring to the pile of equipment

Link set the bag down beside him and answered, "It's the tent. You never seen a tent before?"

Medli slightly shook her head in embarrassment, "I've never been camping before."

"Oh really?" Link went in slight surprisal.

"It's just I've never seen any other islands other than Dragon Roost."

"Well to tell you the truth, I've never been to any of the islands before my sister was kidnapped. Maybe I can take you to Outset once this is all over."

Medli smiled in approval, "That would be just great."

"So where do you want me to set up the tent? Outside or inside?"

"Outside please," Medli eagerly answered.

"Oh yeah, I shouldn't have asked that."

Medli expressed a short giggle, "Thanks for doing this for me."

"It isn't a problem at all," Link mirthfully replied.

It didn't take that long for Link to set up the tent for the two of them. He set it up a few feet away from the ocean then threw the sleeping bags inside for later. He put the bagful of food just outside the tent for later. He put the firewood he retrieved from the boat on the other side of the tent for now.

"That should be everything," Link pointed out, looking at everything to make sure. "Yeah that looks like everything."

Medli looked up into the sky to try to tell what time it was. She guessed out loud, "Sun is starting to set."

Link looked up a quick second to see for himself. He saw the skies beginning to have an orange tint to it then replied, "Yeah, that's what it looks like."

Medli turned toward Link and watched him for a moment. He crawled into the tent and unrolled one of the sleeping bags. The tent was an average size, the entrance was kind of small though. There was more than enough room for both of them to peacefully sleep inside.


	2. Want Some Soup?

Chapter 2

Want Some Soup?

The sun decided to finally set over the vast ocean leaving Medli and Link by themselves on the small island of Headstone. The moon hung high and enough light with it to illuminate the whole island the two individuals were on. The night sky was filled with various constellations of stars and barely a cloud was there to block the incredible view.

The green clothed hero and the red-eyed Rito were laying back on the ground, looking up into the skies and enjoying the scene. Link would occasionally begin to doze off but managed to keep himself awake. He still needed to start the fire because it was getting a little on the chilly side but Medli never seemed to take notice of the temperature. So Link stayed put for a little while longer, letting Medli enjoy the sight. The thought that Medli had been in a temple for five days kept him in his spot.

Link looked over at Medli for a moment to see what she was doing. She was looking up at the stars, snapping her attention from one constellation to another as she spotted them. A sharp cool breeze blew through the air making the girl shiver a quick moment in response. The boy beside her seemed to take notice.

"You cold?" Link asked, already know she was.

Her response confirmed it. "Just a little. But I'll be fine."

"Nonsense," Link replied, standing to his feet. He rubbed his two hands together as if he was putting together some sort of magic trick. "Time to make that fire."

Medli sat up to watch her friend at work to see how exactly he was going to accomplish such a task. She turned around, while still sitting down on the sand, to see the boy move all the firewood he brought earlier into one bundled spot. The Rito watched him enter the tent for a speedy second to see him come right back out with his bow and one arrow in hand. She knew what he was going to do next. She witnessed him as he performed magic, using a fire arrow to his advantage against a monster in the temple. Link utter a silent incomprehensible word, making some sort of fire field form around his arrow. Then he let the arrow fly into the firewood, making the beginning of their approaching fire to spark up into a dull flame at first, but it quickly developed into a full campfire. The very sight of it drew Medli closer to its warmth.

"Thanks," Medli conveyed, hovering her open hands in front of the glistering flames.

Link tossed his bow back into the tent then sat down cross-legged beside the Rito. "No problem."

It didn't take long for Medli to feel well content. The heat felt more than heavenly and she soon found herself looking back up into the stars. Link made his way back to the tent to retrieve another arrow to use to tend the fire. As soon as he did, he sat right back down in his spot beside his friend and moved some of the sticks to burn better. When he finished, he stabbed the end of the arrow that was in the fire in the sand beside him to cool it down to prevent any sort of trouble.

Medli found the silence a little uncomfortable so she began to think up of something to talk about. It didn't take all that long for her to say, "You know, sometimes I wonder if there's something else out there."

Link looked over at her with sort of a bemused look, "What do you mean?"

"You know," Medli went. Link didn't seem to follow so she continued, "Like . . . is there a place out there beyond the great sea like ours?"

Link shrugged his shoulders, "Who knows? There might be."

"If there is, you can't help but wonder if there doing as good as we are. Or what if their lands are plagued with heat and famine and they're struggling to survive?"

"That is a mystery," Link answered. "Or what if they're doing better than us? What if they never heard of war?"

"True," Medli slenderly nodded in agreement. "If so then they must think the same thing that we're thinking now."

"I'm sure someone must know if there is something else out there in this world," Link lightly replied.

"You may be right," the Rito went in thought. A few seconds later she continued, "If there is such a person then he would probably be a pirate."

"What makes you think that?" Link asked in wonder.

Medli looked over at the hero, "It's quite simple if you think about it. Pirates travel all over and they only make landings for supplies and such. What if there was a group of pirates who stole from another land then fled here to escape?"

Link examined the crackling fire a moment before he answered, "That is a way to look at it."

Medli smiled and looked back at the dancing fire. She watched it for a few moments before returning her attention to Link, who was slowly beginning to doze off.

She bumped him on the shoulder making him wake up in response. "If your going to sleep then you should probably rest in the tent."

Link rubbed his eyes to stay awake, "Naw I'll be alright. We still got that soup to eat so I'll at least stay awake until then."

"Soup?" Medli repeated like she forgotten about it ages ago. She realized how hungry she was and rubbed her stomach in reaction, "I'm starved."

"You want to try the soup?" Link offered. He looked at Medli long enough to see a quick nod of approval which made him grin.

Link stood back to his feet and made his way toward the tent where he kept most of the supplies at. Medli watched him disappear inside it for a short minute before coming back out with four bottles of orange soup, two in each hand. He carefully made his way over to Medli where she took two off his hands to ease his burden. Link sat back down beside Medli with a satisfied sigh.

"I didn't get any bowls so we'll just drink it from the bottle. I got two for me and two for you," Link explained.

Medli looked down at her two bottles and studied the liquid a second. It looked like soup alright. She looked back at Link to see him with a bottle already open and him taking a sip of the soup. His facial expression after he swallowed made it look like the soup was the greatest thing in the great sea. So she decided to give it a go.

Medli put her free bottle down on the ground beside her then untwisted the cork from the other. She set the cork on her lap took a little sip for taste. Link smiled as she did.

"So what do you think?" the boy eagerly asked.

Medli swallowed and grew quite surprised at the taste. "Whoa, this stuff is delicious!" Medli took another swallow of soup, this time it was a larger portion, then continued. "What's in this stuff?"

Link thought about it for a moment then answered, "I don't really know. I think it contains cheese and there's got to be some pumpkin in there somewhere. Might even be some fish in there." Link dubiously shrugged, "I wouldn't bet on it though."

Just by watching Link take another swallow of the soup made Medli duplicate his actions. After she swallowed then went on, "Maybe I'll have to ask your grandma for the recipe."

Link chuckled, "I don't think she'll just give it away like that though." Before Medli could ask why Link continued. "I asked her what was in the soup before, she only told me that it was good for me and said to leave it at that."

"Oh," Medli simply uttered. She took another swallow of soup then something clicked in her head. "Wait, how did she laugh after she said that?"

Link looked at the girl a moment then answered, "Well I think I did hear her make some sort of laugh when she said that. Why?"

Medli looked down into the bottle at the last remains of her first bottle of soup. "You think there's something in the soup you grandma doesn't want you to know about?"

The green clothed boy expressed a shady gesture, "If there is then . . . oh well. I've been drinking this stuff for years and I'm still here."

"Hmm." Medli peered at the last of her soup one last time, shrugged any thoughts away, then downed the last bit of her soup. She put the cork back in the bottle and set it to the side. "You still got the bottle I gave you?"

Link nodded as he swallowed some soup. "Sure do. It's one of these bottles here."

"Just wondering," Medli quietly responded. She picked up her other bottle of soup, pulled out the cork with ease, then took another sip of soup. Her mind skipped to another topic which she couldn't help but find herself ask, "So were you serious about taking me to Outset?"

Link swallowed and looked at Medli unexpectedly. "Well of course I was serious. As soon as Ganondorf is gone, I'll take you there myself. Promise."

Medli smiled, "Thanks. I can't count how many times I've told you that today."

"Then don't," Link jubilantly replied. "I'm more than happy just to help you out."

Medli couldn't resist of continuing her smile at her friend's kindness. It still surprised her on how charitable Link was toward her. "Then I can't wait to see it."

The Rito took another sip of soup letting Link add on, "Well. It's probably not as majestic as Dragon Roost."

"Just because it doesn't have a tall volcano with a dragon on top of it doesn't mean it can't be majestic," Medli comforted. "Truthfully, I would rather live on a normal island than something like Dragon Roost for a while. I mean I've lived there my whole life only as a simple attendant."

Link went to take another sip of soup to find out his bottle was already empty. He looked inside the bottle as if he was in disbelief, sighed, then put the cork back on the bottle. He set the bottle to the side then retrieved his last bottle of soup. He twisted it open then took that sip he craved for.

"I guess you'll like it then," Link finally responded. "I guess you could call it a little slice of paradise depending on how you look at it."

"And how do you look at it?" Medli inquired.

Link took another swallow of soup and answered, "I look at it as my home."

Medli looked down at the bottle of soup she held for a moment before taking another swallow of soup. It didn't seem any like any type of insect had a home on their small island for they never made themselves known the the duo. The great sea was the only thing singing tonight with its constant waves and water brushing up on the nearby the beach. But that was enough for Medli. At least she could peacefully find some good sleep, knowing that she would be able to fall asleep the great sea's lullaby. She had been listening to her own breathing for far too long.

Then the Rito began to feel full on soup. She looked down at the last bit in the bottle then went ahead and drunk it. She swallowed then quickly put the cork back into place, only to set it right beside her next to the other empty bottle. She watched the fire in front of her for a minute while Link finished the rest of his soup. It seemed just as lively now as it did before. The girl looked back at Link to catch him twisting the cork back on his now empty bottle.

"You full?" Link asked, setting the empty bottle beside him.

Medli nodded then handed her two empty bottles over to the boy. He accepted then set them beside him with the others.

Link slowly stood to his feet with all the bottles in his arms. He yawned, "I guess I'm gonna call it a day. I'll be in the tent if you need me."

Medli nodded again making the boy satisfied. She watched him set the empty bottles down beside the tent door, then he disappeared inside the orange fabric structure. The girl guessed it must have been nearing around eight o'clock now. The Rito smiled and turned her attention to the stars up above, knowing that she was going to sleep without having to worry about her friend. After all, she wanted him to get as much sleep as he could.

"_Hope you'll be alright tomorrow,_" Medli thought. "_Why am I worried? He'll be just fine. He's gotten this far._" Medli tried to forget about it but there wasn't any use. It was all she could think about at the moment. "_I feel helpless for him. I'll be stuck here in hiding while he'll be out there fighting for what's right. Fighting for everyone in the great sea. He's done so much for me, yet he's asked for nothing in return. No, he's done so much for everybody on every island of the sea. I wish I could be as reliable as him one day._"

The fire crackled as her thoughts continued, "_It's still amazing that all of this has happened so suddenly. I remember when he first came to our island. He looked kind of silly with that tunic and hat at first, but when I got to know him, it all suited him._"

Medli uttered a quiet sigh and looked back at the tent. "_At least he promised me to take me Outset. I don't care if it's a barren wasteland, I want to see where my friend lives at. I just want to get away from the whole attendant thing for a little while longer._"

Medli yawned and observed the fire a bit longer, "_Am I jealous? Wait . . . no. Having the whole kingdom of Hyrule is something that I don't want on my shoulders. It would be too much of a burden to bear._" She looked back over at the quiet tent, "_I wonder if you wanted something like this. I wonder if you ever wanted to get away from everything and explore the great sea or if it all just happened at once. Are you happy that your the legendary hero?_"

The Rito stood to her feet, noticing that fatigue was beginning to take over. "_Better get some sleep. After all, I haven't slept good in a while._"

She eyed the fire, thinking of whether or not it should be put out. It didn't really have any sort of fire hazard for it was far enough away from the tent. If one of them couldn't sleep and wanted to stay outside a bit longer, at least they will have a warm fire to come to. So she left it burning and made her way toward the camp.

Medli peeked into the open shelter and spotted a boy on the right side, wrapped up in the safety of his sleeping bag. He looked like he was already asleep so the girl crawled inside as quiet as she could. She creeped toward the left side where her sleeping bag was then noticed something on top of it. Whatever it was, it was green so Medli picked it up. Then she could have laughed at herself. It was Link's cap. She looked over at Link to see him without his cap on. His brown hair looked liked it was medium length and sort of messy looking at the moment. The Rito looked back at the cap, smiled, then put the cap on her head. It was nearly a perfect fit for her. The girl played with the cap for a little while, until she noticed Link's other belongings above the boy's head. The master sword and his mirror shield, along with his bow and quiver full of arrows. She wondered how he could carry all that stuff at once. It always seemed he just pulled the stuff out of nowhere.

_"Naw,_" Medli went in her head. She took the cap off her head then put it down along with Link's weapons. "_I don't think it suits me._"


	3. Knowing One's Confidence

Chapter 3

Knowing One's Confidence

Turned out that Medli was right. One of them did wake up in the middle of night, only to sneak outside during the cold night. The fire was dimly lit but it gave out just enough heat for comfort as someone sat down on the sands beside it. The individual's legs were crossed as if he was meditating as he looked out into the dark ocean water.

Another individual came out of the tent, wondering where the other was. The one sitting by the fire sensed a presence but didn't suspect any danger.

"Link?" Medli rubbed her eyes as she walked toward her friend by the fire. His cap seemed to be missing from his head. It was in Medli's hands instead. "What are you doing up so late?"

Link answered as Medli made her place beside him, "Just been thinking." The Rito offered to hand over the boy's cap so he took it off her hands with quiet gratitude. He didn't put it on his head though, he only fiddled with it. He also noticed that the Rito wasn't carrying that harp on her back like he always saw her do.

"Thinking about what? Or is it something that you would rather keep to yourself?" Medli asked, making herself comfortable on the sands under her.

Link rubbed the back of his head with his free hand, "Well . . . I guess you can say . . . I'm kind of nervous."

"Nervous?" Medli sounded surprised to hear that. "What's making you nervous?"

Link let out a low modest sigh, "If I fail to defeat Ganondorf tomorrow, the age of darkness shall begin. Who knows what will become of this world if Ganon contains full control over the triforce." A few seconds then he continued, "Our world would vanish under his rule."

"Oh . . . that." Medli saw how concerned the hero looked. Was he actually afraid? "Hey," she began while placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry. Your going to do just fine. You gotten this far in the quest. If you ask me, Ganon should be the one who's afraid. Afraid of being sealed once again by the hero that has defeated him once and once again. His dark powers are no match of the shining light you always seem to carry with you."

The girl couldn't tell if her words made Link feel any better or not. She wasn't all that great with speeches and such but tried her best to cheer him up. After a few moments of silence, Medli finally came to the conclusion that her lecture didn't seem to have any effect. She could understand the position he was in though. It was indeed, a tough burden to carry. She couldn't imagine what it would be like to be in her friend's shoes right now.

"Thanks Medli."

A response? Medli smiled, "It should be me who's thanking you alright? . . . So are you feeling alright now?"

"I feel a little bit better," Link replied.

"That's better than nothing I suppose." Medli looked over at Link to see his cap was set on the sand beside him. For some reason, she picked it up and fiddled with it herself. Link noticed but didn't give it much attention. Until she put the cap on her head. It made Link look at her with both his eyes for a full view of the sight. The boy couldn't help but show a smile, something the Rito wanted to see. She looked sort of silly with that funny looking hat on her head. It was actually quite hard to tell she had a ponytail underneath the cap. "What do you think?" Medli asked.

Link put a hand under his chin, "Hmm, it would look better if the cap was red instead of green."

"Maybe I'll get a red tunic to go along with it?" The Rito coltishly continued with a smirk.

Link expressed a short chuckle, "Ha, I would love to see that."

Medli couldn't help but laugh right along with Link, trying to imagine herself in a red tunic and cap. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't bring any sort of image up in her head. "That makes two of us."

Link's chuckle changed into a smile of appreciation as he looked his friend over. She was still messing with the cap on her head, trying to get it to fit perfectly. It was amusing for a little while but after a few moments Link turned his attention toward the twilit sea in front of him. "I'm ready for this whole war thing to come to an end. It feels like it's been ages since I last saw peace in the sea."

Medli finally quit fiddling with the cap on her head, satisfied it was going to stay in place, then turned her head towards the sea herself. "Your right there."

Link let out a deep but smug breath then forced himself to his feet. "I guess I better get back to sleeping. I'm going to need it."

The girl stood to her feet as well, "I'm surprised you even woke up this late. I thought you would sleep until midday tomorrow."

"I think it's already tomorrow," Link simpered

The Rito shrugged, "Well whatever." Medli snatched the cap off her head and offered it back to the green clothed boy in front of her. He accepted it with a tired face then made his way for the tent.

_A few hours later_

Medli was right yet again. It was nearing midday and Link was still in the tent, sleeping. The Rito had been up for two hours already, just watching the ocean waves roll onto the beach. She made sure the fire from the night before was put out by kicking some sand up on it. She didn't want to take the chance of her or Link stepping on the hot spot by mistake. The Rito was carrying her harp with her again, hoping to play it before Link woke up.

The girl leaned up against the cool breeze, pretending that she was weightless while looking out into the sea. The sun sparkled across the waters making it look like thousands of glistening diamonds strode across the land. The seagulls cawed at the sight of the Rito standing on the beach with her ponytail hovering behind her as it was blown by the gentle wind. She also noticed Link's boat, still floating next to the island in a gap. How it wasn't washed away into the ocean was a mystery for it wasn't tied to anything. She just shrugged it off at first, but curiosity peaked her interest. The girl made her way toward the red boat for a closer look until she was peering inside of it.

"Good morning Medli."

Medli looked behind her, expecting Link to be there, but there was no one there. She scratched her head while she looked around herself, looking for a living being beside her. But she didn't see anyone. Until she turned toward the head of the boat.

The Rito found herself laughing at herself, "I completely forgot about you."

The King of the Red Lions showed a grin, "Somehow I find that surprising. How is your friend doing?"

"Still sleeping," Medli answered. "Not to be curious, but how is it that you . . . speak?"

The boat seemed to utter a short laughter then replied, "Link has not told you? As a sage, I suppose you have the right to know." The king sounded like he cleared his throat then continued, "I am King Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule."

"Wait," Medli interrupted. "Are you the actual of king of Hyrule?"

"Indeed I am," the king answered. "This boat is only a vessel of which I use to accompany the hero through his troubles and hardships."

"Oh, so your an actual person but just like . . . somewhere else?" Medli sounded unsure of what she was trying to comprehend.

A full four seconds passed until the Rito finally heard, "You can say that."

Medli nodded in apprehension, "Okay I think I get it now. So where is Hyrule? Is it far away?"

"Hyrule is . . . under the sea itself. I hoped that maybe one day I would be able to bring it back to the surface, but somehow I do not think that it is going to happen."

"Ganon huh?"

The king nodded, "Indeed. He was the reason why my kingdom is in it's sad state."

"Well I wouldn't worry much longer," Medli comforted. "Link will take care of him."

The king showed a grin to the girl, "It's the one's like you who give me hope. You have much faith in your friend do you not?"

The Rito nodded, "Of course I do. He hath much courage that many of us tend to take for granted."

The boat's head cocked an eye, "Do you take his courage for granted?"

"Actually," Medli began. "I don't even know what I just said. I just wanted to sound like royalty."

The King of the Red Lions emitted a chuckle, "Well . . . having faith in your friend gives him more confidence than you know. You may think that you cannot help your friend when he leaves, but as long as you show him your confidence, that's as gold to him. I'm sure it will make him happy."

Medli thought about what he said for a moment, smiled, then replied, "Okay." She made a quick bow like a martial artist would before he began a fight. "I'll do my best."

_Not too much later_

Finally, some life from the boy. Link showed himself with a yawn as his eyes adjusted to the morning sun. As soon as they did, he saw Medli standing over by the shoreline, gazing out into the sea. But there wasn't any use in hiding his presence, she already knew he was there as soon as he crawled out the tent door. At least he hoped she did. He forgot that he left his weapons in the tent with him and tripped over his bow and landed on the ground with a yelp. Somehow or another, he kicked his mirror shield up and it landed on the master sword, making it emit a loud, metal against metal, noise. So the boy didn't see much use in trying to sneak up behind her. But he did hear her playing her harp again. So he listened in from the entrance in the tent. It was something else that was for sure. That girl could play her harp like it was nothing. It was also a beautiful sort of tune that Link was happy to hear. It saddened him when she stopped, so he finally made his appearance.

"Morning," Link greeted as he approached her from behind.

"Afternoon," Medli smirked. "You mean good afternoon." She strapped the harp back onto her back, knowing that the boy enjoyed the music. She knew he was listening in which was why she was playing so loud.

Link looked up into the sky to see the sun was hovering straight over his head. It must have been a little past noon. "Same difference but a little different."

"So are you still nervous?" Medli asked, still gazing out toward the sea.

Link faked a poor laugh, "Yeah, I guess."

"It's alright," Medli replied, turning toward her friend. She noticed he was wearing his green cap again. "Just remember what I told you about last night."

"You mean this morning?"

"Whatever," the Rito shook it off then continued. "You'll be fine. I have the utmost confidence in you."

Link showed a short smile, "Thanks."

"So when are you going to show Ganon that he isn't welcome in our world?"

"_Is she that confident in me?_" Link thought then answered aloud, "Soon." A moment passed then he continued, "I'm just going to leave the tent here alright? Just in case you have to stay here another night. Listen, I have some pirate friends that helped me get off Outset. You'll know their ship if you see it. If you do see it, flag it down and mention my name. They'll help you get off this rock alright?"

Medli nodded, "Alright. I got it."

It didn't take all that long for Link to get his stuff together and ready himself for his trip to the tower of the gods. The link from the great sea to Hyrule itself. Link left behind his tent, sleeping bags, and that bag of fruits for Medli. He figured that if she did stay another night, she would enjoy a good night sleep on some soft cotton instead of the hard flooring in the temple. But he didn't have to worry about his friend going back in the temple. She wasn't going back in there, especially since she had to keep on eye out for this pirate ship Link spoke of. She thought all pirates were bad but what made these pirates so different from the others she heard so much about? Oh well, if Link trusted them so did she.

While she was in her thoughts, Link was in the tent and had organized his belongings and placed them in his tunic as he always done in the past. His bow and the empty bottles were first, then he placed the master sword on his back followed by his mirror shield. As he exited the tent one last time, he noticed the arrow he used as a fire-poker from last night, still standing up in the sands near the remains of the firewood. But instead of retrieving it, he passed by it, leaving it in it's place. When he arrived at his boat, he hesitated to enter. He turned to Medli, who showed a familiar smile. Link smiled back himself, then finally clambered into the boat. He looked onto the flooring to see his sail folded up into a triangle, same as he left it last night.

He easily unfolded it and began attaching it to the mast. "I'll see you later."

"You too," Medli replied. "And good luck." A few more seconds passed and Medli continued, "And if you don't mind, could I have some more of that soup later on?"

Link chuckled, "You bet."

As soon as Link made the final attachment, a sudden gust of wind blew on the sail, pushing the boat into the sea. Link looked back to see Medli waving him off, so he waved back with a renewed confidence burning inside of him.


End file.
